It's true that different states tend to have varying social mores. Even so, a revelation that 43 Oklahoma school districts permitted corporal punishment of disabled students has caused justifiable outrage. Once again, we find that students' fundamental rights are not as progressed or protected as they should be.

During the 2021-22 academic year, there were 247 instances of corporal punishment of students who required an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), indicating that they are disabled. Four particular school districts accounted for 95 of those instances.

Call the Lento Law Firms' Student Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 or contact us online if your student has been adversely affected by overzealous punishment.

Parents Gave Permission to Spank Their Children, But This Is a Slippery Slope

It is only fair to disclose that, according to a public school superintendent quoted in the story, the town of Blair only spanked disabled students whose parents had granted the school permission to do so. This is an important fact, but it does not address the slippery slope of allowing educators to physically discipline students.

When a parent grants permission for a school employee to discipline their child, we must wonder:

• Does the parent explain the specific types of physical contact that are acceptable?
• Can a parent determine how hard the educator will strike their child, and whether that force is appropriate? (No.)
• Does written permission from the parent give a potentially aggressive educator a free pass to strike a child inappropriately? (Possibly.)
• Will the student be confused that their teacher is acting as a disciplinarian?
• What effect does public corporal punishment have on other students?

What if there is a miscommunication, and an educator strikes a child whose parent did not give permission for corporal punishment?

Oklahoma School Districts Are Rethinking Their Corporal Punishment Policies

There is an endless list of issues when schools permit the corporal punishment of any student, let alone students with learning disabilities. Superintendents in multiple districts are now reconsidering their policies, either banning or working to ban corporal punishment of disabled students.

This story underscores how vastly different disabled students' rights vary from one state to the next. If you had moved from California to Oklahoma and did not know the state permitted corporal punishment by teachers, you might be very surprised to learn that the pro-spanking policy exists.

There Are Many Alternatives to Corporal Punishment

The same educators quoted in the story explain that there are several alternatives to corporal punishment, many of which use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. These alternatives include:

• Hyper-structured environments where students may be more likely to focus on a specific task
• Specialized classrooms combining education with therapy
• Working with speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and other specialized professionals

While parents have a right to request corporal punishment and educators can work within the confines of the law, we know that rules can be easily misconstrued and broken. When educators and administrators breach disabled students' rights, the Lento Law Firm steps in.

Allow the Lento Law Firm to Ensure the Rights of Your Disabled Student

We assist disabled students and their parents with a wide range of issues, from inappropriate discipline, to denial of accommodations, and more. Call the Lento Law Firms' Student Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 if your disabled student needs a solution that you've had difficulty securing. You can also contact us online.